On Monday, September 10, 2012, World Suicide Prevention Day, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s VetoViolence Facebook page will be hosting an Ask the Expert Live Chat focused on suicide prevention! The Live Chat is scheduled for 12:00 – 2:00 pm ET at https://www.facebook.com/VetoViolence?ref=hl#!/events/278619925576273/Suicide is a serious public health problem that can have lasting harmful effects on individuals, families, and communities. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for nearly 37,000 deaths each year. Apart from deaths, there are an estimated 465,000 visits to emergency departments each year for self-harm injuries. In 2008, the most recent year of available data, more than 1 million people reported making a suicide attempt.Participants from CDC:- Deb Stone, ScD, who has more than 10 years of experience in suicide prevention; and- Natalie Wilkins, PhD, whose areas of expertise include evidence-based decision making, evaluation, and suicide prevention. Participants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA):- James Wright, MS, LCPC, who is a Public Health Advisor in the Suicide Prevention Branch, Center for Mental Health Services; and-Jennifer Cappella, MPA, who is a Public Health Advisor in the Suicide Prevention Branch, Garrett Lee Smith State and Tribal and Campus Suicide Prevention Grant Programs.

On September 13, 2012, at 2 p.m. E.T., the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, in conjunction with the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention, will present the 90-minute Webinar “Strategies to Ensure a Healthy Adolescence.” Presenters will provide an overview of healthy adolescent development, how to identify and implement protective factors, and the importance of pro-social messaging when creating a positive peer culture. Information on the panel of speakers, as well as upcoming topics in this Webinar series, can be found in the attached flyer.

This fast-paced webinar is designed to assist victim service providers in better serving transgender survivors of sexual assault and other forms of violence. Many providers are committed to serving transgender clients, but seek additional information in order to provide more competent and sensitive services. This webinar will primarily focus on basic transgender concepts, but will include references and examples specific to victim service providers. The components covered will include: 1) discussing the diversity under the "transgender umbrella;" 2) exploring social, medical, legal, and other options transgender people may pursue; 3) stimulating thought about which components of a transgender person's life might (or might not be) relevant to the roles crime victim professionals play; and 4) disseminating resources to support transgender crime victims and the professionals who serve them. Pre-webinar worksheets will help guide participants during the webinar. Ample time for questions and answers will help solidify materials learned.

The September 19th webinar will focus on using these tools and concepts for suicide prevention and will feature demonstrations and discussions about linkages to sexual abuse and intimate partner violence prevention led by a suicide prevention practitioner.

The September 18th webinar will focus on using these tools and concepts for child maltreatment prevention and will feature demonstrations and discussions about linkages to sexual abuse and intimate partner violence prevention led by a child maltreatment prevention practitioner.

A clear understanding of healthy sexuality, healthy sexual development and healthy relationships offers individuals, families and communities a foundation to talk about a full spectrum of behaviors. More importantly, this foundation offers everyone a major tool needed to prevent child sexual abuse. This web conference focuses on practical information as well as ways to engage families and communities in these conversations.

Last year, 177 police officers lost their lives in the line of duty and 143 committed suicide. These deaths are devastating and unacceptable. The National Institute of Justice has developed a robust research portfolio to improve officer safety and wellness and, ultimately, save lives. The experts on this panel will discuss some of the evidence-based practices and policies that law enforcement agencies can put into operation to reduce officer deaths and improve wellness and performance. Ample time will be allotted to take questions from the audience.Moderator: Brett Chapman, PhD, NIJ Social Science Analyst.Panelists:

Bryan Vila, Professor, Washington State University, will discuss his work on officer fatigue.

On August 29, 2012, at 2 p.m. (eastern time), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) will present a Web Forum discussion with Vivian Brown, Ph.D., and Amy Fleischauer, LMSW, on best practices for implementing trauma-informed care in victim services settings. Dr. Brown is the founder and former CEO of Prototypes, a California-based nonprofit agency that serves women, children, and communities affected by substance abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence. She has 40 years of experience in developing innovative, trauma-informed and trauma-specific mental health, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS services. Dr. Brown currently provides consultation on integrating mental health, substance abuse, health, and trauma services; and she recently developed a number of trauma-informed practice materials. She previously collaborated on the OVC-funded Institute for Collaborative Response for Victims of Family Violence at San Jose State University, including presenting workshops on family violence and the intersecting issues of trauma, mental health, and substance abuse; and on using trauma assessments to help agencies become more trauma-informed. Ms. Fleischauer is Director of Victim Services at the International Institute of Buffalo, which provides services to foreign-born victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. She also serves as Director of Victim Services for the Northern Tier Anti-Trafficking Consortium, which provides training and technical assistance for organizations that administer direct care to survivors of human trafficking. Ms. Fleischauer is a consistent presenter and panelist at national conferences on topics related to domestic violence and human trafficking.Visit the OVC Web Forum now at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum to submit questions for Dr. Brown and Ms. Fleischauer and return on August 29 at 2 p.m. (eastern time) for the live discussion. Go to http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovcproviderforum/asp/participate.asp for instructions on how to participate.

The Substance Abuse and Mental health Services Administration's Native American Center for Excellence

Event Contact

Contact Name:

Josefine Haynes-Battle

Contact Email:

josefine.haynes-battle@SAMHSA.hhs.gov

Description:

In the 21st century, one tradition that was nearly lost is contemporarily known as Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender identified Native America/American Indian/Alaskan Natives. This webinar will examine historical perspective to today's condition and state of the Two-Spirit community. This webinar will also look at current data, barriers and challenges of this population in seeking and accessing services. A detail report for current resources and key recommendations will be addressed.

This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-02 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.